Weaver, Martens lay out plans

1/22/14 (Wed)

By Chris Erickson

Details on two major developments were heard this week by Beulah’s City Council from both public and private entities. First was an update from Dakota Westmoreland on proposed plans for changes to the company’s future operations, and then came an update on fundraising efforts for a proposed wellness center.
Bill Weaver, manager of Dakota Westmoreland’s Beulah mine, presented information on how in the near future the company would transition into a transload facility.
“We lost our contract with Coyote Power plant and we’re looking at the options we have to keep our people employed at the mine site,” Weaver said.
After providing some background on the company’s overall operations, Weaver offered insight into how and when the transition would take place.
“I’m sure you’re concerned with an oil facility coming in with all the things that have been happening with derailments and explosions,” Weaver said. “We do have a great safety culture in our company and want to assure you that with the oil transload facility we’re talking about, safety is at our core.”
The proposed facility would be used to unload sand, cement and pipe from railcars to trucks headed for the oil fields. Oil would come in by truck and head out by rail. The existing coal contract will maintain until it ends in 2016 with Coyote Station. Coal would still be mined for Heskett Station.